UNITED STATES
NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION
OFFICE OF NUCLEAR MATERIAL SAFETY AND SAFEGUARDS
WASHINGTON, D.C. 20555
April 22, 1988
Information Notice No. 88-16: IDENTIFYING WASTE GENERATORS IN SHIPMENTS
OF LOW-LEVEL WASTE TO LAND DISPOSAL
FACILITIES
Addressees:
Radioactive waste collection and service company licensees handling
prepackaged waste, and licensees operating low-level waste disposal
facilities.
Purpose:
This notice clarifies 10 CFR Section 20.311 regarding requirements for
identifying persons shipping low-level waste to land disposal facilities. The
clarifications and suggestions contained in this notice do not constitute new
NRC requirements, and no written response is required.
Background:
A new Section 20.311 ("Transfer for disposal and manifests") was added to
10 CFR Part 20 in December 1982. Section 20.311 states that each shipment of
radioactive waste to a land disposal facility must be accompanied by a
manifest that describes the waste shipment. Among other requirements, this
description must include the name, address, and telephone number of the waste
generator. The purpose of identifying the waste generator is twofold: It
provides a source of information about the waste if questions or problems
arise. It enables development of a representative data base showing factors
such as actual generators, type of licensee, and state where generated, rather
than data skewed by large volumes from brokers or waste collectors.
For waste collector licensees who handle only prepackaged waste, Paragraph
20.311(e) provides two options for shipment manifest preparation. The first
option allows the waste collector to prepare a new manifest to reflect conso-
lidated shipments. The new manifest serves as a listing or an index for the
detailed generator manifests, which must be attached to the new manifest. The
second option allows the waste collector to prepare a new manifest without at-
taching the generator manifests, provided the new manifest contains for each
package the information contained in Paragraph 20.311(b).
Licensed waste processors who treat or repackage waste are considered in
Paragraph 20.311(f) to be the waste generators. Waste processors must prepare
a new manifest reflecting this responsibility.
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Description of Circumstances:
Contrary to Paragraph 20.311(e)(2), waste collectors who prepare new manifests
for shipping prepackaged low-level waste to land disposal facilities have
sometimes failed to either consistently identify the original waste generators
or consistently provide sufficient information to maintain the identity of the
waste generators for each specific waste container.
Discussion:
The intent of Section 20.311 is to ensure that each waste container delivered
to a land disposal facility is traceable to a specific waste generator. Waste
collector licensees should ensure that disposal facility shipment manifests
identify, for each container of prepackaged waste, the name, address, and
telephone number of the person generating the waste. Similarly, land disposal
operators accepting prepackaged waste from collectors should ensure that
container-specific waste generator information is included.
One acceptable approach would be to provide, for each container, a simple
generator code (e.g., A, B, C), and refer to an attached list for the name,
address, and telephone number of the generator corresponding to the code.
Another acceptable approach would be to print the names, addresses, and
telephone numbers of the generators directly on the manifest continuation
sheets. Other approaches are acceptable provided the required waste generator
information corresponds to individual waste containers.
No written response is required by this information notice. If you have
questions, please contact this office or the appropriate NRC regional office.
Malcolm R. Knapp, Director
Division of Low-Level Waste Management
and Decommissioning
Office of Nuclear Material Safety
and Safeguards
Technical Contact: G. W. Roles, NMSS
(301)492-0595
Attachment: List of Recently Issued NRC Information Notices
. Attachment
IN 88-16
April 22, 1988
Page 1 of 1
LIST OF RECENTLY ISSUED
NRC INFORMATION NOTICES
_____________________________________________________________________________
Information Date of
Notice No._____Subject_______________________Issuance_______Issued to________
88-15 Availability of U.S. Food 4/18/88 Medical, Academic,
and Drug Administration and Commercial
(FDA)-Approved Potassium licensees who
Iodide for Use in Emergencies possess
Involving Radioactive Iodine radioactive
iodine.
88-14 Potential Problems with 4/18/88 All holders of OLs
Electrical Relays or CPs for nuclear
power reactors.
88-13 Water Hammer and Possible 4/18/88 All holders of OLs
Piping Damage Caused by or CPs for nuclear
Misapplication of Kerotest power reactors.
Packless Metal Diaphragm
Globe Valves
88-12 Overgreasing of Electric 4/12/88 All holders of OLs
Motor Bearings or CPs for nuclear
power reactors.
88-11 Potential Loss of Motor 4/7/88 All holders of OLs
Control Center and/or or CPs for nuclear
Switchboard Function Due power reactors.
to Faulty Tie Bolts
88-10 Materials Licensees: Lack 3/28/88 All NRC licensees
of Management Controls Over authorized to use
Licensed Programs byproduct
material.
87-44, Thimble Tube Thinning in 3/28/88 All holders of OLs
Supp. 1 Westinghouse Reactors or CPs for nuclear
power reactors
that employ a
Westinghouse NSSS.
88-09 Reduced Reliability of 3/18/88 All holders of OLs
Steam-Driven Auxiliary or CPs for nuclear
Feedwater Pumps Caused power reactors.
by Instability of Woodward
PG-PL Governors
_____________________________________________________________________________
OL = Operating License
CP = Construction Permit